Safety rail-joint fastener



v J. 0-. PHELPS.

SAFETY RAIL Jomr FASTENER Filed Nov. 16. 1927: v

Patented May 20, 1924.

JQHN o. miners, or LOS ANGELE dement a- SAFET RAIL-JOINT EASTENER..

Application filed November re, 1923. SeriaTHo. e'zsaos.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN O. 'PHELPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of-L'os Angeles and State of California,.liave invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Rail-Joint Fasteners, of which the following. is a specification. l

This invention relates to safety rail-joint :fasteners.

One object of'the invention is to provide a boltless fastener.

Another object is to provide a fastener consisting of practically two..pieces,both of which are identical and each of which is adapted therefore to be used in either righthand or lefthand position as arranged in a set for clamping the ends of :rails.

Another object is to provide a joint fastener'which not only provides means for clamping the contiguous ends of rails but further forms arigidchair to eliminate .what is known asloose and'low joints.

Another object is to provide a jointfastener which will provide for the natural expansion and contraction of therails.

Another object is to provide a fastener component which may be readily cast or forged, and which component is in onepiece form and without joints or attached elements of any kind. I

A further object is to provide a rail-joint fastener consisting of a pair of identical iclamp members, operative mutually on each other to act wedge-fashion inthe clamping or gripping of the rail-ends.

Other objects and advantages will bemade manifest in the followingspecification-of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1' is a perspective of a completed railjoint of the present invention.

"Fig. 2iis 'aperspective of one of the joint members.

Fig. 3 is a plan of one of the members.

-Fig'.4,is a cross-section showing the adaptation of the joint fastener to a double track installation.

The fastener of the present invention includes a pair of identical chairs and'clampmembers each of which has a central body 2 having a plane top face on which the base B of a rail is adapted to rest. To one side of the body 2 there is formed a lateral under-grooved jaw 3 overhanging a recess 4 extending along the lateral body part 2.

This jaw.in'clinesasinclicated at a.-Fig. 3, as

is also the side clamping wall 3 of'the jaw.

Along'the opposite-side of the body extends an elongatedjaw .5-having a pressure or fric- 'tio'nledgee to 'bear upag'ainst the web W f the rail R. The top edge 5- of the jaw 5 fits close up against the bottom of the ball ofthe rail. The jaw 5 has a set-back in a faoe5 to provide clearance from the rail-web and is also provided with a gripping-face 5 inclined to conform tothe inclination of the top surfa'ceof the rail-base B as isclearly seen in Fig.1.

One end of each clamp=member is pro ,vided with the rail; \chair2 and is also provided with spike-receiving flanges 6 perforated at 7 to receive spikes driven into the usual rail ties. Preferably the spike holes are offset, as in Fig. .3, to reduce'splitting were in alignment. and-the Spikes driven Y therethrough into the tie. I

' The jaw 5 ofeaohlamp-member gradually tapers forward from. the body-end and the bottom surface 5 of .each jaw is substantially inthe same plane as: the surface 4'- of each body portion and which surface formsthe-bOttom of'the recess under the clamp-hook or j aw 3: The chair-body Qhas jaw, but is set back sufiicientlyto clear the edge-of the base of; thelfitlll which is POSI- tively engaged only by the face 5? and the corner surfaces 5* and 5" at the top of the Toefi'eota positive contracting andgriptendency as would occur if the spike-holes 'pingaetion of one clamp-member asto the p othe r when these are assembled in opposite relation as is shownlin -"Fig. 1, the overhanging inner fend of each jaw 5 is provided with a longitudinally extending chan- -nelf.8; ,Fig.;1];, -'the inner wall of which inclines complementarily with the inclination of the wall 3* of the hook-jaw 3, so that, when the overhanging end of the jaw 5 of one member is thrust into the recess 4 of the other member, the hook part of the jaw .3 enters the recess 8 in the j aw-horn 5. The taper of the hook 3 and of the hornend 5 is of such angle as to relatively shift the two members forming the fastener laterally together or toward each other with the result that when the fastener has been positioned under and around meeting ends of the rail, as shown in Fig. 1, then,,as the two members are driven one into the other by a longitudinal movement, they will relatively contract and, in a vise-like manner, clamp upon and firmly grip the interposed rail-ends. Preferably .the angle of the hook 3 and the tapering horn are such as to grip-in a positive manner and remain in locked position practically free from any loosening tendency. It will be seen that when the fastener members are setup, the I 1. A safetyrail-joint fastener, compr 1s ing a pair of substantially identical griptop portion of each jaw 5 bears up against the lower surface of the ball of the rail on each side of the web W, and thesurfaces 5 of each clamp-member bear down and in wardly on the top inclined faces of the bases B of the rails, the hook 3 of each of the members engaging the horn or overhanging end of the jaw 5 at the inner: face of the channel or groove 8, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

'In Fig. 4 the device is shown for the fastening of a pair of track rails set in close position. In such installations an intermediate elongated block orfiller F is introduced between the spaced rails R and through the rails and the block there is passed the usual fastening-bolt orbolts A. In this case of double track, the chair or body part 2 is made sufficiently wide to receive the bases or partial bases B of the rails; one rail being supported by the jaw.

5 of one member, while the other track is supported and clamped by the horn 5 of the other member which is driven in under the complementary hook 3.

In cases where the fastener is to be used in securing the meeting ends of rails forming a part of a curve in a track, the faces 5 of the aws are preferably recessed as at 9 to clear the corners formed at the ends of the rails and to allow these corners to slightly deflect by projection into the recesses 9. r

From the above'it will be seen that I have provided a safety rail-joint fastener of extreme simplicity, of great strength, and of ease of application and adjustment and tightening up, and thatI- have provided a fastener which will provide for expansion and contraction and is at the same time entirely devoid of bolts and fish-plates and which not only forms the means for effectively fastening rail-ends, but also for supporting rail-ends as in achair.

A very important advantage of the present invention is that the device consists essentially of what might be called a onepiece article of manufacture, since it is possible to use each piece in a right or lefthand position to complete the rail fastener.

Further embodiments, modifications and variations may be resorted to within the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

ping members having mutually wedging action to clamp upon ra11-ends, each member including a' transverse end body-portion having at one side a hooklng part and at' the other side a jaw part and each jaw having an overhanging horn for wedging cooperation with the hook of thecompanion member in a fastener.

2. A safety rail-joint fastening member, including anintermediate body-portion having at one side a jaw-like hook and at'the opposite portion an elongated jaw having an overhanging projecting horn-portion recessed in oneface to engage the jaw-like hook of a companion member forming a fastener, the jaw-like hook and the horn having complementary-inclined faces operating to contract assembled members when telescoped one into the other.

3. A safety rail-joint fastening member, including an intermediate body-portion hav- "ing at one side ajaw-like hook and at, the

opposite portion an elongated jaw having an overhanging projecting horn-portion recessed in one face to engage the jaw-like hook of a companion member forming a fas tener, the jaw-like hook and the horn having complementary inclined faces operating to contract assembled members when telescoped one into the other, the aw and horn of each member having surfaces to engage in the angle at the intersection of. the web and shoulder of the ball on one side of a rail, and having an effective face to engage the contiguous top surfaces of the base of the ra'l.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN o. PHELPS. 

